Fabrication Method for Synthesizing a Bi2TeySe3-y Thermoelectric Nanocompound and
Thermoelectric Nanocompound Thereby

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a method for synthesizing a Bi 2 Te y Se 3-y  thermoelectric nanocompound (0&lt;y&lt;3), comprising the following steps: preparing a Bi—Te—Se solution by adding Bi, Te, and Se precursors to a solvent (step 1); preparing a hydrate by mixing the Bi—Te—Se solution prepared in step 1) with a base aqueous solution (step 2); preparing a Bi 2 Te y Se 3-y  reactant by liquid phase reduction at room temperature after adding a reducing agent to the hydrate prepared in step 2) (step 3); aging the Bi 2 Te y Se 3-y  reactant prepared in step 3) (step 4); and preparing Bi 2 Te y Se 3-y  nanoparticles by filtering and drying the Bi 2 Te y Se 3-y  reactant aged in step 4) (step 5). The Bi 2 Te y Se 3-y  thermoelectric nanocompound synthesized by the method of the present invention via liquid phase reduction is composed of regular nanoparticles since the method does not need any additional heat-treatment to eliminate chemical additives and prevents particles from being over-grown. Therefore, the Bi 2 Te y Se 3-y  nanocompound particles are regular in size of 1˜100 nm and distributed evenly, so that thermal conductivity of the compound is reduced and thereafter thermoelectric figure of merit thereof can be improved.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application claims the benefit of priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2013-0048094 filed on Apr. 30, 2013, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a method for synthesizing a Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) thermoelectric nanocompound and the thermoelectric nanocompound produced by the same.

BACKGROUND

Thermoelectric generation indicates the general technique to convert waste heat produced from everyday life and from a variety of industrial fields into electromotive force by using thermoelectric module. That is, it is the technique to convert thermal energy into electric energy by using Seebeck effect. Energy conversion efficiency of the said thermoelectric module depends on figure of merit (ZT) of thermoelectric material. Figure of merit of thermoelectric material, which is in other words thermoelectric figure of merit, is in proportion to temperature (T), and can be determined by Seebeck coefficient (α), electrical conductivity (σ), and thermal conductivity (κ) of each thermoelectric material (Mathematical Formula 1).

ZT=α2σT/κ  (Mathematical Formula 1)

(In the Mathematical Formula 1, ZT is the thermoelectric figure of merit, αis the Seebeck coefficient, σ is the electrical conductivity, T is the absolute temperature, and κ is the thermal conductivity.)

According to the Mathematical Formula 1, a substance having high electrical conductivity but low thermal conductivity is required to yield high thermoelectric figure of merit. In general, the smaller the size of a particle is, the lower the thermal conductivity goes. The smaller the number of crystal particle through which electric current flows, the higher the electrical conductivity goes. That is, thermoelectric figure of merit can be improved by regulating the crystal growth.

For example, Korean Patent Publication No. 2000-0025229, No. 10-2007-0117270, and No. 10-2010-0053359 describe methods for preparing thermoelectric materials in bulk with improved thermoelectric properties by mechanical milling-mixing. More precisely in those methods, the starting materials Bi and Te were dissolved and hardened, followed by pulverization to give Bi₂Te₃ elemental powder. Then, the elemental powder proceeded to mechanical grinding to give thermoelectric materials. However, the thermoelectric materials prepared by the above methods have the disadvantage of high thermal conductivity resulted from the particle size in tens of micro-meters.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2005-0121189 presents a method for preparing (BiSb)(TeSe) thermoelectric material by melt-spinning and extruding. Particularly, Sb and Se were inserted in BiTe thermoelectric materials to prepare the thermoelectric materials having p-/n-type characteristics. However, the thermoelectric materials prepared by the above method also have the disadvantage of high thermal conductivity owing to the particle size in tens of micro-meters.

In the meantime, Japanese Patent Publication No. 22093024 presents a method for preparing BiTe alloy nanoparticles, in which the Bi precursor BiCl₃ and Te were dispersed and reduced in water and then reacted to give Bi₂Te₃ nanoparticles. However, even though the Bi₂Te₃ nanoparticles presented in the patent were confirmed to have low thermal conductivity, dispersing agents or reducing agents used in the process were acting as impurities or oxide second phase was produced. Besides, the product is the binary material, which means it does not have enough extrinsic semiconductor properties, so that it is difficult to apply the product to thermoelectric module.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2007-0108853 presents a method for preparing nanocomposite designed to decrease thermal conductivity. Particularly, Si nanoparticles having thermoelectric properties were included in Ge host (inclusion), by which electrical conductivity of the complex was kept but thermal conductivity was lowered. The said Si particles are in the size of tens of nano-meters. So, this particles have lower lattice thermal conductivity reduced by phonon comparatively decreased, compared with other particles in the size of tens of micro-meters. However, this thermoelectric composite demonstrates the highest thermoelectric figure of merit in mid-temperature range (around 600 K), and has the disadvantage of requiring high priced raw materials such as Si and Ge.

Korean Patent No. 10-0663975 also describes a method for preparing Fe-doped skutterudite thermoelectric material. Particularly, this method is to reduce thermal conductivity of a thermoelectric material by taking advantage of rattling effect of a specific atom, in which lattice thermal conductivity of each material, crystalline skutterudite and clathrate, can be reduced by inserting rare earth metals and alkali metals in the internal void of the said materials having high electrical conductivity. However, the said skutterudite and clathrate demonstrate the highest thermoelectric figure of merit in mid-high temperature range (higher than 600 K), suggesting that high-temperature/high-pressure process is required.

Lastly, Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2013-0036638 presents a method for synthesizing Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) nanoparticles. Precisely in the invention, a [Bi(III)-stabilizer] complex was prepared by using a Bi precursor, a stabilizer, and a reducing agent, which was reacted with anion precursors (Te/Se) to give Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) nanoparticles. However, this method has the disadvantage that the said Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) nanoparticles need the additional heat-treatment process to eliminate chemical additives used for the preparation, indicating that the particles are further growing because of the heat-treatment and thereby thermal conductivity is increased.

In the course of study to develop a new method for synthesizing a Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) nanocompound with improved thermoelectric properties, the present inventors confirmed that a Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) nanocompound could be synthesized by liquid phase reduction and this method did not require additional heat treatment to eliminate the added chemical additives with preventing nanoparticles from growing, that is even nanoparticles could be formed. The present inventors further confirmed that the synthesized Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) nanocompound had reduced thermal conductivity. Based on the above confirmation, the present inventors developed a method for synthesizing a Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) thermoelectric nanocompound with improved thermoelectric figure of merit, leading to the completion of this invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Technical Problem

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for synthesizing a Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) thermoelectric nanocompound and the thermoelectric nanocompound produced by the same.

Technical Solution

To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a method for synthesizing a Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) thermoelectric nanocompound (0<y<3), comprising the following steps:

preparing a Bi—Te—Se solution by adding Bi, Te, and Se precursors to a solvent (step 1);

preparing a hydrate by mixing the Bi—Te—Se solution prepared in step 1) with a base aqueous solution (step 2);

preparing a Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) reactant by liquid phase reduction at room temperature after adding a reducing agent to the hydrate prepared in step 2) (step 3);

aging the Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) reactant prepared in step 3) (step 4); and

preparing Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) nanoparticles by filtering and drying the Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) reactant aged in step 4) (step 5).

The present invention also provides the Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) thermoelectric nanocompound prepared by the said method above.

Advantageous Effects

The method for synthesizing a Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) thermoelectric nanocompound of the present invention has advantageous effect of synthesizing a Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) nanocompound by liquid phase reduction and of preparing even and regular nanoparticles with preventing them from further growing without an additional heat-treatment to eliminate chemical additives. When Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) nanocompound particles are produced evenly in the size of 1˜100 nm, thermal conductivity of the nanocompound is reduced and at last thermoelectric figure of merit is improved.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The application of the preferred embodiments of the present invention is best understood with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a process flow chart illustrating the method for synthesizing a Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) thermoelectric nanocompound according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a graph illustrating the result of X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) with the Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) thermoelectric nanocompound prepared in Example 1;

FIG. 3 is a scanning electron microscope image illustrating the Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) thermoelectric nanocompound prepared in Example 1;

FIG. 4 is a graph illustrating the thermal conductivities of the Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) thermoelectric nanocompounds prepared in Example 1 and Comparative Example 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, the present invention is described in detail.

The present invention provides a method for synthesizing a Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) thermoelectric nanocompound (0<y<3), comprising the following steps:

-   -   preparing a Bi—Te—Se solution by adding Bi, Te, and Se         precursors to a solvent (step 1);     -   preparing a hydrate by mixing the Bi—Te—Se solution prepared in         step 1) with a base aqueous solution (step 2);     -   preparing a Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) reactant by liquid phase reduction         at room temperature after adding a reducing agent to the hydrate         prepared in step 2) (step 3);     -   aging the Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) reactant prepared in step 3) (step         4); and     -   preparing Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) nanoparticles by filtering and         drying the Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) reactant aged in step 4) (step 5).

The present invention presents the summary of the above method for synthesizing a Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) thermoelectric nanocompound with a process flow chart in FIG. 1.

Hereinafter, the method for synthesizing a Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) thermoelectric nanocompound of the present invention is described in more detail step by step based on the process flow chart shown in FIG. 1.

In the method for synthesizing a Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) thermoelectric nanocompound of the present invention, step 1) is to prepare a Bi—Te—Se solution by adding Bi, Te, and Se precursors to a solvent.

In step 1, the Bi precursor can be selected from the group consisting of Bi, Bi(NO₃)₃, BiCl₃, BiBr₃, BiI₃, and BiF₃.

In step 1, the Te precursor can be selected from the group consisting of Te, TeCl₄, H₂TeO₃, and H₂TeO₄.

In step 1, the Se precursor can be selected from the group consisting of Se, SeCl₄, H₂SeO₃, and H₂SeO₄.

In step 1, the solvent can be an acid aqueous solution. Herein the acid can be selected from the group consisting of hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, sulfuric acid, and aqua regia.

The said Bi, Te, and Se precursors were mixed with the solvent, followed by stirring to prepare a Bi—Te—Se solution.

In the method for synthesizing a Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) thermoelectric nanocompound of the present invention, step 2) is to prepare a hydrate by mixing the Bi—Te—Se solution prepared in step 1) with a base aqueous solution.

In step 2, a hydrate can be prepared in order to prepare a Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) nanocompound via liquid phase reduction.

In step 2), the base aqueous solution can be selected from the group consisting of sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, and ammonium hydroxide.

In this step, the Bi—Te—Se solution prepared in step 1) was mixed with a base aqueous solution in order to hydrate Bi—Te—Se. The Bi—Te—Se hydrate was prepared by stirring the mixture for 6˜24 hours.

In the method for synthesizing a Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) thermoelectric nanocompound of the present invention, step 3) is to prepare a Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) reactant by liquid phase reduction at room temperature after adding a reducing agent to the Bi—Te—Se hydrate prepared in step 2).

A Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) nanocompound was synthesized by liquid phase reduction at room temperature in step 3). In this process, any additional heat-treatment was not necessary to eliminate chemical additives, suggesting that nanoparticles were evenly formed without being over-grown. As a result, the Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) nanocompound particles were regular in size that was in the range of 1˜100 nm, and evenly distributed, so that thermal conductivity of the Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) nanocompound was reduced and at last thermoelectric figure of merit was increased.

The reducing agent in step 3) can be selected from the group consisting of LiAlH₄, H₆B₂, NaBH₄, and N₂H₄.

In the method for synthesizing a Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) thermoelectric nanocompound of the present invention, step 4) is the process of aging the Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) reactant prepared in step 3).

The said aging was performed at room temperature with stirring for 12˜48 hours. When the stirring for aging is performed less than 12 hours, the Bi—Te—Se hydrate is not reduced, and therefore other phases except Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y), particularly Bi₂O₃, SbO₂, and TeO₂ can be produced.

In the method for synthesizing a Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) thermoelectric nanocompound of the present invention, step 5) is to filter and dry the Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) reactant finished with aging in step 4) to give Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) nanoparticles.

In step 5), filtering was performed to recover the Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) reactant finished with aging in step 4) from the solvent. After filtered, the recovered Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) reactant was washed with alcohol, acetone, and deionized water, etc, and then dried. Drying was performed at 40˜80° C. for 6˜24 hours, and preferably performed at 60° C. for 12 hours under vacuum condition.

As a result, Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) nanoparticles (0<y<3) were obtained. The particle size of the Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) nanoparticle was 1˜100 nm, and the particle size distribution was ±20%, more preferably ±10%. When the particle size distribution is in the above range, physical and chemical properties of the nanoparticle are excellent.

The method for synthesizing a Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) thermoelectric nanocompound of the present invention is advantageous in synthesis of a Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) nanocompound via liquid phase reduction at room temperature since it does not require any additional heat-treatment process to eliminate chemical additives. By omitting the heat-treatment, particles are prevented from being over-grown so as to form even and regular nanoparticles. Therefore, the Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) nanocompound particles prepared by the method comprising steps 1)˜5) above are formed regularly in the size of 1˜100 nm and distributed evenly. As a result, thermal conductivity of the Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) nanocompound is reduced but thermoelectric figure of merit thereof is improved.

The present invention also provides the Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) thermoelectric nanocompound prepared by the said method above.

At this time, the said Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) nanocompound preferably has the rhombohedral structure.

The particle size of the said Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) nanocompound is 1˜100 nm and the particle size distribution thereof is ±20% and more preferably ±10%.

The Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) thermoelectric nanocompound of the present invention is synthesized by liquid phase reduction at room temperature without additional heat-treatment process, which is advantageous in preparing even nanoparticles without being over-grown. That is, the method of the present invention facilitates the synthesis of a Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) nanocompound in the diameter of 1˜100 nm, in which nanoparticles are regular and evenly distributed so that thermal conductivity of the Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) nanocompound can be reduced. That indicates thermoelectric figure of merit is increased, making the nanocompound excellent material for thermoelectric module.

EXAMPLES

Practical and presently preferred embodiments of the present invention are illustrative as shown in the following Examples.

However, it will be appreciated that those skilled in the art, on consideration of this disclosure, may make modifications and improvements within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Example 1 Preparation of a Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) Thermoelectric Nanocompound 1

A Bi₂Te_(2.7)Se_(0.3) nanocompound was prepared by the method comprising the following steps:

Step 1: 60 mmol of Bi, 81 mmol of Te, and 9 mmol of Se were mixed in distilled water, to which 100 ml of nitric acid was added, followed by stirring for 3 hours. As a result, a Bi—Te—Se solution was prepared.

Step 2: Ammonium hydroxide, the base aqueous solution, was added to the Bi—Te—Se solution prepared in step 1) until pH reached 7.0 in order to hydrate Bi—Te—Se. The mixture was stirred for approximately 12 hours to give a Bi—Sb—Te hydrate.

Step 3: 50 ml of N2H4, the reducing agent, was added to the Bi—Te—Se hydrate prepared in step 2), followed by liquid phase reduction with the Bi—Te—Se hydrate. As a result, a Bi₂Te_(2.7)Se_(0.3) reactant was prepared.

Step 4: Aging was performed by stirring the Bi₂Te_(2.7)Se_(0.3) reactant prepared in step 3) at room temperature for 24 hours.

Step 5: The Bi₂Te_(2.7)Se_(0.3) reactant aged in step 4) was recovered by filtering, which was then washed with ethanol and distilled water. The washed Bi₂Te_(2.7)Se_(0.3) reactant was dried at 60° C. for 12 hours under vacuum condition to give a Bi₂Te_(2.7)Se_(0.3) nanocompound.

Example 2 Preparation of a Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) Thermoelectric Nanocompound 2

A Bi₂Te_(2.7)Se_(0.3) nanocompound was prepared by the same method as described in Example 1 except that the aging process in step 4) of the method of Example 1 is performed for 96 hours.

Example 3 Preparation of a Bi2TeySe3-y Thermoelectric Nanocompound 3

A Bi2Te2.7Se0.3 nanocompound was prepared by the same method as described in Example 1 except that the aging process in step 4) of the method of Example 1 is performed for 114 hours.

Comparative Example 1 Preparation of a Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) Thermoelectric Nanocompound 4

Step 1: 60 mmol of Bi(NO₃)₃ was loaded into distilled water along with the reducing agent, ascorbic acid, and the stabilizer EDTA, followed by stirring for approximately 2 hours. pH of the reactant was adjusted with sodium hydroxide. As a result, a [Bi(III)-stabilizer] complex was prepared.

Step 2: 81 mmol of Te powder and 9 mmol of Se powder were mixed with the liquid phase reducing agent aqueous solution to prepare the reduced Te/Se solution.

Step 3: The [Bi(III)-stabilizer] complex prepared in step 1) was loaded in the Te/Se solution prepared in step 2) to form the Bi₂Te_(2.7)Se_(0.3) precipitate, followed by aging at 100° C. for 60 hours.

Step 4: The reactant finished with aging in step 3) was cooled down naturally, followed by filtering to recover the reactant. The recovered reactant was washed with ethanol and distilled water. The reactant was dried at 60° C. for 12 hours under vacuum condition to give Bi₂Te_(2.7)Se_(0.3) nanoparticles.

Step 5: The Bi₂Te_(2.7)Se_(0.3) nanoparticles obtained in step 4) were heated in hydrogen ambient at heating rate of 5° C./minute, followed by heat-treatment at 300° C. for 6 hours.

Experimental Example 1 X-Ray Diffraction Analysis

To confirm the structures of the Bi₂Te_(2.7)Se_(0.3) thermoelectric nanocompounds prepared in Example 1˜Example 3, X-ray diffraction (XRD, Rigaku, D/MAX-2500) was performed and the results are presented in FIG. 2.

As shown in FIG. 2, it was confirmed that the said Bi₂Te_(2.7)Se_(0.3) thermoelectric nanocompound had the rhombohedral structure. Therefore, it was confirmed that the Bi₂Te_(2.7)Se_(0.3) thermoelectric nanocompound was successfully synthesized by the method of the present invention.

In the above method, when aging hours in step 4) was 24 hours or more, no changes in crystal structure were detected. Therefore, it was confirmed that the Bi₂Te_(2.7)Se_(0.3) nanocompound was generated by at least 24 hours of aging.

Experimental Example 2 Observation Under Scanning Electron Microscope

The surface of the Bi₂Te_(2.7)Se_(0.3) thermoelectric nanocompound prepared in Example 1 was observed under scanning electron microscope (SEM, Hitachi, S-4800) and the result is presented in FIG. 3.

As shown in FIG. 3, the said Bi₂Te_(2.7)Se_(0.3) thermoelectric nanocompound was confirmed to be composed of nanoparticles in the diameter of 20˜50 nm.

Therefore, it was confirmed that the method for synthesizing a Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) thermoelectric nanocompound of the present invention characterized by liquid phase reduction at room temperature without additional heat-treatment facilitates the production of finer even nanoparticles with preventing them from further growing.

Experimental Example 3 Measurement of Thermal Conductivity

To investigate any changes in thermoelectric figure of merit of the Bi₂Te_(2.7)Se_(0.3) thermoelectric nanocompounds prepared in Example 1 and Comparative Example 1, thermal conductivity was measured by laser flash analysis (LFA, Netzsch, LFA447) and the results are presented in FIG. 4.

As shown in FIG. 4, thermal conductivity of the Bi₂Te_(2.7)Se_(0.3) thermoelectric nanocompound prepared in Example 1 was lower than 1.0 Wm⁻¹K⁻¹ at the temperature range of 50˜150° C. and approximately 1.5 Wm⁻¹K⁻¹ at 300° C. .

In the meantime, thermal conductivity of the Bi₂Te_(2.7)Se_(0.3) thermoelectric nanocompound prepared in Comparative Example 1 was approximately 1.25 Wm⁻¹K⁻¹ at the temperature range of 50˜150° C. and around 2.0 Wm⁻¹K⁻¹ at 300° C.

From the above results, it was confirmed that thermal conductivity of the Bi₂Te_(2.7)Se_(0.3) thermoelectric nanocompound prepared by the method of the present invention was lower than that of the Bi₂Te_(2.7)Se_(0.3) thermoelectric nanocompound prepared by the conventional method.

It was further confirmed that the Bi₂Te_(2.7)Se_(0.3) thermoelectric nanocompound prepared in Example 1 had much lower thermal conductivity than that of the single crystal compound composed of micrometer-sized particles (sc-Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y), J. Phys. Chem. Solids 54 (1993) 525).

According to the method for synthesizing a Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) thermoelectric nanocompound of the present invention, lattice thermal conductivity of the above Bi₂Te_(2.7)Se_(0.3) thermoelectric nanocompound was also confirmed to be reduced owing to the active phonon scattering among nanoparticles.

Therefore, the Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) nanoparticles prepared in the finer size according to the method of the present invention demonstrated much lower thermal conductivity.

The Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) nanocompound having lower thermal conductivity demonstrates higher thermoelectric figure of merit as calculated by the following Mathematical Formula 1, suggesting that the said nanocompound can be effectively used as a material for thermoelectric module.

ZT=α2σT/κ  (Mathematical Formula 1)

(In the Mathematical Formula 1, ZT is the thermoelectric figure of merit, α is the Seebeck coefficient, σ is the electrical conductivity, T is the absolute temperature, and κ is the thermal conductivity.)

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conceptions and specific embodiments disclosed in the foregoing description may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other embodiments for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that such equivalent embodiments do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. 

1. A method for synthesizing a Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) thermoelectric nanocompound (0<y<3), comprising the following steps: preparing a Bi—Te—Se solution by adding Bi, Te, and Se precursors to a solvent (step 1); preparing a hydrate by mixing the Bi—Te—Se solution prepared in step 1) with a base aqueous solution (step 2); preparing a Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) reactant by liquid phase reduction at room temperature after adding a reducing agent to the hydrate prepared in step 2) (step 3); aging the Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) reactant prepared in step 3) (step 4); and preparing Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) nanoparticles by filtering and drying the Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) reactant aged in step 4) (step 5).
 2. The method for synthesizing a Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) thermoelectric nanocompound according to claim 1, wherein the Bi precursor of step 1) is one or more substances selected from the group consisting of Bi, Bi(NO₃)₃, BiCl₃, BiBr₃, BiI₃, and BiF₃.
 3. The method for synthesizing a Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) thermoelectric nanocompound according to claim 1, wherein the Te precursor of step 1) is one or more substances selected from the group consisting of Te, TeCl₄, H₂TeO₃, and H₂TeO₄.
 4. The method for synthesizing a Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) thermoelectric nanocompound according to claim 1, wherein the Se precursor of step 1) is one or more substances selected from the group consisting of Se, SeCl₄, H₂SeO₃, and H₂SeO₄.
 5. The method for synthesizing a Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) thermoelectric nanocompound according to claim 1, wherein the solvent of step 1) is an acid aqueous solution.
 6. The method for synthesizing a Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) thermoelectric nanocompound according to claim 1, wherein the base aqueous solution of step 2) is one or more solutions selected from the group consisting of sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, ammonium hydroxide.
 7. The method for synthesizing a Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) thermoelectric nanocompound according to claim 1, wherein the reducing agent of step 3) is one or more substances selected from the group consisting of LiAlH₄, H₆B₂, NaBH₄, and N₂H₄.
 8. The method for synthesizing a Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) thermoelectric nanocompound according to claim 1, wherein the aging in step 4) is performed by stirring the mixture at room temperature for 12˜24 hours.
 9. The method for synthesizing a Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) thermoelectric nanocompound according to claim 1, wherein the step of washing the reactant is additionally included after filtering the reactant in step 5).
 10. The method for synthesizing a Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) thermoelectric nanocompound according to claim 9, wherein the washing is performed with one or more washing solutions selected from the group consisting of alcohol, acetone, and deionized water.
 11. The method for synthesizing a Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) thermoelectric nanocompound according to claim 1, wherein the drying in step 5) is performed at 40˜80° C.
 12. The method for synthesizing a Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) thermoelectric nanocompound according to claim 1, wherein the drying in step 5) is performed for 6˜24 hours.
 13. A Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) thermoelectric nanocompound synthesized by the method of claim 1 (0<y<3).
 14. The Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) thermoelectric nanocompound according to claim 13, wherein the Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) nanocompound has rhombohedral structure.
 15. The Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) thermoelectric nanocompound according to claim 13, wherein the Bi₂Te_(y)Se_(3-y) nanocompound has the particle size of 1˜100 nm. 